MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

9/11 Keeping everybody happy

One of the things that was tough for Cubs manager Lou Piniella to do was keep his four outfielders happy in terms of playing time. Mike Quade says it has been a challenge.

“It’s difficult for me,” Quade said about getting enough at-bats for Kosuke Fukudome, Marlon Byrd, Alfonso Soriano and Tyler Colvin. “I don’t lose sleep over much but it usually involves personnel decisions. Everybody’s playing well.”

On Saturday, Fukudome got a rare start against a lefty in Milwaukee’s Randy Wolf. Expect Colvin back in the lineup Sunday.

“It’s a great problem to have,” Quade said, “and you respect the fact they all want to play every day and it makes it difficult when a guy gets a day or two more than he wants off. We’ll continue to keep rotating them.”

What about the callups such as Brad Snyder and Sam Fuld? Could they get spot start in the outfield?

“My sense is as we get through St. Louis [Monday through Wednesday], and we’ll look to get some people [a start],” he said. “It’d be a lot easier if I had a banged up outfield. … I stay focused on the guys who deserve to play every day.”

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5 Comments

I don’t understand why Soriano and Fukudome need regular at bats at this point; sit them down and say “You’re a veteran, we want to sit you a little more down the stretch to help some young guys develop and make sure you’re healthy for next season.”

Of course, Quade’s only looking out for himself so that won’t happen. Snyder needs a look, he put up a .949 OPS at Iowa this year and has speed. Colvin and Hoffpauier should get looks at 1st. Maybe Quade is doubling as Nady’s agent, trying to get him as big a deal as possible.

I wonder how Quade determines who is deserving of playing everyday? Can’t be offensive production that would eliminate both Soriano and Fukodome. If it’s defensive prowess that would explain Fukodome but certainly not Soriano. If it’s hustling out of the batter’s box that would ELIMINATE Soriano. If it’s youth, ability and potential then Colvin should never be sitting and Snyder should be getting a LONG look in left field. By making these contrived statements Quade leaves us fans to think that HE thinks Snyder and Fuld are NOT deserving to play and that he is certainly a company man not crossing the line that would further embarrass his inept boss Hendry. All it tells us is that Quade is going to walk the path of the kiss a##.

joeydafish, agreed: see comment posted on todays lineup: Everyday we get to witness why the cubs are the worst run franchise in all of baseball. We are 20 games back, yet we continue to play Soriano and Fukodome on a regular basis. Quade said “they have earned it.” Interesting. I am not sure what Quade is talking about. Maybe he is talking about ranking 17th in the league in Rbis? Maybe he is talking about ranking 18th in the league in runs scored? Maybe he talking about doing all of this with the 3rd highest payroll in the league. It is unclear what he is talking about, but to continue to prance around and act like people are having great seasons and “deserve” to play is a joke.

I disagree on one point Joey, Soriano and Fukudome have both been pretty productive offensively this year; with OPSs of .821 and .828 respectively, Soriano is having a regular Soriano season (minus the speed he used to posses) and Fukudome is really have a career year.

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